CHICAGO - Customs officers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport confiscated over $6 million in fake designer watches last weekend.
What we know:
The counterfeit watches — bearing the names and logos of designer brands such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille — arrived at O’Hare in a shipment from China on Sunday, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Officials said a total of 243 watches were inside the seized shipment, which was destined for Bensenville, Illinois.
Upon inspection, customs officers determined the watches were counterfeit. Had they been genuine, they would have had a combined retail value of more than $6.64 million, the statement said. Other brands included Breitling, Bvlgari, Cartier, Omega, Panerai, Rolex, Tag Heuer, and Vacheron Constantin.
Last month, customs officers in Chicago intercepted 145 shipments of fake watches and another 340 shipments containing counterfeit driver’s licenses. All 485 shipments originated from Hong Kong and China. If authentic, their contents would have had a combined retail value of over $9.22 million.
What we don't know:
It wasn’t immediately clear who shipped the counterfeit watches or who they were addressed to.
What they're saying:
"The distribution of counterfeit goods defrauds U.S. consumers and has a significant adverse impact on businesses by robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. "CBP is the first line of defense, and our officers intercepted this threat before these fake items were introduced into commerce and reached consumers, which provides economic security for our nation."
What they're saying:
There are several ways consumers can protect themselves from spending money on fakes:
- Purchase goods directly from the trademark holder or authorized retailers.
- Know the expected price of the product. If it’s priced well below market value, it could be counterfeit.
- If a price seems too good to be true, it likely is.
- Look for legitimate websites with customer service contact information and return policies.
- Review CBP’s E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide for Consumers.
The Source: Details for this story were provided in a press release by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.